By Jamie Edwards.
I don’t know about you, but for some reason, I find it easy to trust what “man” has to say. If a doctor gives me a diagnosis, I believe him. If a friend says something hurtful to me, I believe them. If a teacher tells me that my child is a failure, I take them at their word.
And what about Satan? He’s very easy to believe. After all what he whispers in my ear often aligns with what I already think about myself, so it must be true. “You’ve failed too many times for God to use you” – yep, makes sense. “If someone pretends to care about you it’s only because they want something from you.” Seems to fit with my life experiences so it must be true.
Why is it so much easier to trust what people and Satan say than it is to trust what God has to say? His word is filled with his truth along with account after account to back it up. And if that isn’t enough, he proves himself over and over again in our lives, and the lives of those around us. Yet when he tells us we are chosen and dearly loved (Colossians 3:12) we choose to listen to the lies of the enemy over His truth. Or when he promises that we can do all things through Christ, who gives us strength (Philippians 4:13) we choose to focus on the mountain that is in front of us instead of on the promise of God.
The lie that Satan has been feeding to me lately is that he is going to derail what God has planned. Yet, when I seek God and his truth, he is so faithful to remind me that he is one the throne.
“Remember this, fix it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels. Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other, I am God and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say; My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do.” – Isaiah 46:8-11
My prayer is that I will grow so close in my relationship with Christ that his voice will be the only one that I hear. And that all others will be clearly recognizable as “strangers”.
“I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.” – John 10: 1-5
Whose voice are you listening to today?
Which one of God’s promises do you need to be reminded of?
Instead of listing to the “voices of strangers”, dig into his word today and listen to what God has to say about your current situation.
Jamie works as a Product Development Director and has been attending Grace Hills for three years. She and her husband, Jason, have been married for 16 years and have two handsome boys. Her prayer is that everyone that is in bondage will experience the freedom of Christ.